NPC: Scorchmark stopped a short way from the ship and touched his communicator, relieved to find it still in one piece. "This is Scorchmark. Esp has crash-landed near my current coordinates in some desert. No distinguishing landmarks within sight. She doesn't look like she'll fly again very soon, so I'm requesting pickup." In truth he had no intention of walking across miles of desert and dying of thirst. He just wanted to get away from the others. Their bickering annoyed him. XH-DX

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Good to conquer evilLies to fight the truthAre any of us only saints or sinnersOr is it always Red versus Blue?​

OOC: Scorchmark's got no one to blame but himself for the bickering. Fade literally said he was done arguing with Isis because it was pointless to expect her to change, but then he had to go and be a grumpypants about it. Things sorta... spiraled outta control from there. Personally, I just want to get to the timeskip as soon as possible, so I'd like to wrap this whole argument deal up quickly.IC:Hivemind stared down the truck. She had chosen to make her career as supervillain geneticist, not supervillian electrician, so fixing the crane wasn't much of an option."Alright, I'll buzz down there and work on getting it loose. You got anything we can pry the crane off with?"[For Science!]

OOC: Oh, I know He's just angry. Well, he's almost always angry, but you get the point. IC: "Merda," came a voice from the doorway leading to another part of the ship. "What's everyone yelling about? It sounds like a daytime talkshow in here." A handsome, young latino man with shoulder-length, wavy black hair stood in the doorway, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He looked as if he'd just woken up from unconsciousness induced by severe, blunt trauma to the head, which considering the recent past he just might have done. |H-D|

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Good to conquer evilLies to fight the truthAre any of us only saints or sinnersOr is it always Red versus Blue?​

OOC: I'd just like to add that I was scrounging around for something to post, and Scorchmark's "Shut. Up." was the catalyst for Loadstone's rant. I actually made myself a little sick having him scream and berate like that; but hey, that's the character talking, not me. 'long as you guys know that, we're all good. You know, I'd half forgotten Omega was there...IC: (Loadstone)"Oh, nothing," Loadstone told the man who he was pretty sure was Omega. "Isis was just leaving."IC: (Aquarius)"Sharkmen?" Aquarius said in a half-sarcastic, half-helpful tone. "I don't happen to have a crowbar on hand, no."~Lord Rahl~

OOC: Characters, right? Sometimes they tell you what to write IC: Miguel da Costa, who sometimes went by Omega, looked at Lodestone blearily. "Why? Are we home?" He seems to remember something and his eyes snap open. "Did we win? Oh dio, we didn't lose, did we?!"|H-D|

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Good to conquer evilLies to fight the truthAre any of us only saints or sinnersOr is it always Red versus Blue?​

IC: (Loadstone)"Well, the Mothership's toast, so I suppose we won the war," Loadstone replied, glancing sourly at Isis. "But Silver's M.I.A. He was at the center of the explosion..." He nodded toward the screen flashing Silver's lack of vitals...~Lord Rahl~

IC: (Loadstone)"Well, he sort of...sacrificed himself to save the world," Loadstone said. "Technax had an Extinction Cannon aimed at Earth, and Silver caused it to backfire and destroy the Mothership."~Lord Rahl~

IC: Miguel stands, completely silent, staring at his feet. He seems beyond words. Eventually he sits down on the floor, still lost in thought. "He... He knew about it, didn't he? He walked into that knowing he wouldn't be walking out."|H-D|

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Good to conquer evilLies to fight the truthAre any of us only saints or sinnersOr is it always Red versus Blue?​

IC:"I'd say he almost certainly knew," Fade muttered, and glared towards Isis. "Of course, he wasn't the only one, was he?"---"Well, I certainly can't pry that thing loose all by my lonesome, now can I? I didn't get 'proportionate strength on an ant" or anything cool like that in this superpower deal, it's mostly just turn into bugs-" Hivemind said, stopping mid-sentence as her train of thought suddenly jumped tracks. "Waitaminute, you control water! Can't you just, like, short out the mechanisms? I mean, I'm no expert on electricity, but it usually doesn't mix well with water; that's why they tell you not to throw a toaster into the bathtub. Of course, I still did that when I was a kid, but that was for a science experiment! I tried to explain that to the doctors - and the shrinks - but they just didn't listen, yknow?"[For Science!]

IC: Miguel looked up, confused. "What're you talking about? Who else knew?" He looked between them, utterly lost as to the cause but definitely feeling the tension.|H-D|NPC: A voice picked up on the other end of Scorchmark's comm. "This is Carapace. I've dispatched a League jet with some technicians to help repair Esp to your part of the Egyptian desert. Don't go far, now." Meanwhile, in a bunker in Belgium, the insectoid voice with the internet connection turned to another monitor, which was currently engaged in trying to establish video uplink directly with Esp. It was slow going. Even with his secure channels it was hard to get a signal in the middle of the desert. But there seemed to be a connection there...{H-D}

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Good to conquer evilLies to fight the truthAre any of us only saints or sinnersOr is it always Red versus Blue?​

IC:"It was Isis's plan all along. She saw it coming, future visions and whatnot," Fade said. "She decided it was the only way to save the planet, but she didn't think we should know that beforehand. She was worried we might react to it poorly, so she neglected to mention that crucial piece of information until now, when we'd almost certainly get angry about it."[For Science]

IC: "What." Suddenly angry, Miguel rounded on Isis. He wasn't currently in his Omega form, but he was a six-foot-two football player and looking at her very angrily. "Why? Why the **** would you even- Just what the ****!"|H-D|

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Good to conquer evilLies to fight the truthAre any of us only saints or sinnersOr is it always Red versus Blue?​

OOC: "She's a witch! Burn her anyway!" *angry superhero mob*IC: "Silver and Esp both had the option to tell you, and neither chose to. Regardless of when you found out, your reaction would always be bad but you just have to accept: this is NOT a perfect world, and not everyone's going to come back.... you should be glad he valued you all more than he did himself. Of course, you won't ever trust my judgement, but questioning his now isn't appropiate either. It wasn't a decision I made lightly... but one I have to live with" Isis knew defending herself was a losing battle, but if they didn't even bother to understand then there was little hope for them later. She stole a glance towards Sluice's direction, the aquakinetic not having said a word. She harder to be taking this even harder than the rest, as she'd known Silver the best of all of them."I will say this, though whether you heed it or not is your own choice: The past will return in the future, where the light will become the dark. The choice to bring back the light rests with you all" the prophetess announced, before surronding herself in a golden aura and disappearing, teleporting away. The future can only share so much with the past...

IC:"You see, that's exactly what I told her not to do," Fade muttered. "The cryptic messages and what-not. It's not helpful."As far as Fade was concerned, there was nothing in Isis's words that did anything but prove him right. The world isn't perfect? Sometimes people die? If there was anyone who knew that best, it was Fade; people tended to drop around him like flies. But that didn't mean Fade had to like it, and he certainty wasn't going to stop fighting it. Honestly, she was practically talking to them like children.And while he was sure her words were important, there weren't exactly useful. They were too vague for him to actually do anything with until it was too late. It was just some hint to push them along on some grand plan they apparently weren't worthy to hear. Well, Fade had enough. So, some psychic with a god complex wanted to lead them like puppets on a string? She'd better find someone else to do it, because she'd be getting no help from Fade.[For Science!]

IC: Sluice had kept her head in her hands throughout the debate. She disliked tension and arguing, having often played the role of peacemaker both in her civilian and superhero life. That was on a good day. Today she just let the heated words of the others wash over her, almost as numb to them as she was to the various patches of pain across her body. She didn't want the others to argue but at the same time she saw no use in trying to stop them. That was the truth of what others perceived in her to be an impressive ability to stay calm; a crippling lack of self-confidence that prevented her from expressing her own opinions, afraid they were too irrelevant to be voiced.As with any person who had so recently lost a friend, Silver's death didn't seem real to her at all. She hadn't seen him die, and he had assured her that he'd be okay just before they parted. Or had he? She hadn't had the most reliable memory of late, what with being possessed by an ancient psychic and then developing an alternate personality. Maybe she was just grasping for hope. Her head was filled with dozens of conflicting emotions, which were only exacerbated by her exhaustion.She lifted her head. Her eyes were red, but dry; her body had been too dehydrated to produce many tears. Looking past the group, she spoke to Esp directly."I... I think... if it's over, could we... could we all go home a-and rest, please..?"

NPC: Another voice joined the impromptu meeting, with an undertone of static implying the connection isn't strong. "An excellent idea, Ms. Winters. In fact, as I've been informed Esp is in need of some repairs, I have already taken the liberty of dispatching a jet to your location, along with technicians to aid in her recovery. Rest assured they are among the League's best." Yep. No mistaking the insectoid inflection. It was Carapace. Joy. "On a more sombre note, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to you all on the loss of your comrade. Silver was a good man. He stood for his beliefs and for the good of the world to the very end, even making the ultimate sacrifice so all could live. We had a moment of silence when we heard the news." Whether it was the static underlaying his voice or the cold, insectoid nature of the voice itself, even this sounded offhand and unimportant."But congratulations are nevertheless in order. Even despite this loss, you have triumphed over perhaps the very greatest threat Earth has ever known. The world owes you all a debt we may never be able to repay."{H-D}

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Good to conquer evilLies to fight the truthAre any of us only saints or sinnersOr is it always Red versus Blue?​

IC: "Yes, of course.... with Silver..... missing and no remanents of his family remaining, he wanted my service to fall on to you... you were the closest friend he had, after all. Your requests are mine to follow" Esp seemed to sigh, her holographic avatar staring off into nothingness. Despite being supposedly driven by logic, she seemed to be taking a rather emotional route: the loss of Silver not only meant she had failed her programming to protect him, but with Technax also likely deceased... the Crystaxian species would be extinct as a whole. It was not something to be proud of, though Technax's razing of the Earth may view people to see the bright side."Carapace, do see to that a focus is put on stablising components that most aircraft would utilise, and that's most restricting a comfortable flight right now. Forewarning any aggressive forces would also help so we're not considered.... well, hostile alien as my design might stir up. But at least can hope that the Armarda Mothership's destruction has removed the threat Technax posed for good..."**********************The waters of Lake Purity had been corrupted beyond recognition by the explosive crash that had taken place days earlier. Alien coolants and oils scarred the surface of the once sparkling scene, the forest around it not doing much better, littered with the destroyed remains of Dual Fighters and Tanks. The cleanup would take at least weeks, at worst years or never, to restore the place to it's previous beauty. If it was considered priority enough to merit any attention at all. Far beneath the surface of the deep lake, the hulking purple remains of a craft had breaches all across its hull, allowing water to flood inside. There was nothing to indicate it was anything more than a giant peice of scrap metal... except if one travelled deep, deep within.A-A-A-Acces-s-s-ss DeniedAn orange glow pulsed briefly in the dark, startling several fish and sending them darting away to other parts of their new home.Access De-De-De-De-De-The glow pulsed brighter, and one fish that was foolish enough to swim closer was fried by an electrical discharge into the water.A-A-Acce-cess-cess to Primary D-D-D-irectiv-v-ves Gra-ra-rantedThe orange glow dimmed, revealing its source to the watery witnesses: a damaged pair of interlocking pyramids that glowed softly, rotating silently in their waterery grave. Nearby, something resembling a metal, sphereical octopus began to twitch as its 'eye' began to glow red.

IC: "Oh. Sorry. Here, let me fix that..." Surge made an orb of pure light that lit up the whole room. "Just so you know, it also functions as a security device. I can see from the orb as well, so try to pull anything funny, I can stop it. Unless you're like a stand-up comedian or something. In that case funny would be good." Surge started rummaging around in various cubords, looking for his old coffee maker. "Ah! Here it is. I haven't used it in years. Let's see here..." In a few minutes Surge had a steaming cup of coffee. "And my personal touch.." he said as he added one drop of pure liquid energy into the cup and stirred it around. "There you go. That energy should give it a bit more of a kick. Works better than caffeene. Anyway, let's get down to business. Who's "we" and "the others" and where's this ship you say you escaped with?" As they spoke, Surge reached over and put his fingers in a wall socket, recharging him literally.

OOC: Not yet, but I'm sure it'll come after Transairion's next post. Tyler, while I have no problem with you having been on the ship with the others (we did mention several other heroes being there) it might be best not to engage in any long discussion with anyone, for the reason that the timeskip is literally right round the corner.

IC: Shard nodded and took a sip of the coffee. Normally he might've been a bit apprehensive drinking something with pure energy as a component, but honestly right now he needed something to pick him up. "Ahh... Anyway, guess I'd better start at the beginning. A bunch of us heroes, League and otherwise, were pulled together for a desperate assault on Technax's fortress. It wasn't advertised much, so we kept some element of surprise. It... did not go too well, but I think we all got out. Saw the ship leaving with the others at some point before I hit the atmosphere."*H-D*

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Good to conquer evilLies to fight the truthAre any of us only saints or sinnersOr is it always Red versus Blue?​

OOC: Yes, the timeskip is so glaringly close now it's going to burn a hole in my skull if I don't get it out of my head and write it down right this second! Can't you feel the tension in the air?!You can probably throw them in during the "11 in-timeskip posts" of KN and Rahl ;)IC: "Is it rolling? Are we going out live?""Yes, I... well, I think so"The caucasian woman in her twenties facing the camera brushed several locks of fiery red hair away from her eyes, clearing her throat. "This is Kelly Sanders, reporting live from downtown Manhatten by my own home. Throughtout the past week our... limited.... coverage has brought you all we could of the invading forces.... as you've very well seen, as far as we and everyone else we've met can tell, the threat had been eliminated for good" she began, her cameraman turning the lens skyward to the empty sky, where the Mothership had once hung as a massive threat to all life below."We're receiving global reports that any of the mechanized units that remain active are retreating into the depths of the ocean, where they will be pursued until every single one is knocked offline. The invasion appears to be toppled, and worldwide there is a sense of celebration and releif the horrors have ended... but also one of sorrow. The destruction wrought by the invaders is as far as they eye can see and the cleanup and recovery process will take an unknown amount of time, given the widespread nature... but if humanity has proven anything these last few days, it is that we are a resiliant species that will not simply lie down and die" Kelly said firmly, looking down to her feet briefly before back up at the lens."I'd like to make a point now to thank everyone for their help during this difficult time... friends, family, neighbours all for looking out for one another: the 911 services for operating even when it was pratically suicidial to do so...."The transmission bounced off those satelliate's still functioning, racing around the world as the League Jet began to touch down in Egypt. One location it couldn't be picked up was a nigh endless expanse of snow in the Himalayian Alps, a feirce snowstorm turning the area into an incredibly hostile environment... but not an empty one. A long trail of burning debris trailed through the snow, onwards and getting more numerous the closer one got to the crash site."The brave servicemen and women, as well as the numerous heroes... and those of less pure alignment who defended us from the invaders also deserve our thanks this day, surely saving hundreds of thousands of lives. But... we should recognise one other party and keep them in our thoughts even more so..."A steaming, oversized pod of a craft stuck lopsidedly out of the snow, having suffered horrendous damage during re-entry, to the point that more than half of it was gone, blown apart. What remained wasn't dealing with the change from extemely-high to extremely-low temperatures very well, the metal warping and falling apart, the movement allowing something to be caught in the wind and sent fluttering..."We cannot ignore the cost and sacrifices that had to be made this day... the Earth was saved, but surely at a great cost, so we must honor the memories of those brave men and women who won't be returning to their families.... for without them, we wouldn't be here either. This is Kelly Sanders, reporting...."The gray fabric fluttered in the harsh wind, only the jagged bit of debris it was caught on preventing it being carted away and lost forever in the blizzard. The blood upon it had since dried, and the rest of it didn't seem to be attached to the lonely bit of fabric.... but it was still there, being whipped about in the blizzard, in the cold and alone in a heap of debris that might never be seen again.So very, very... alone.....

To Save the World!

INVASION

Starring: Everybody! =D

That's it! After so incredibly, Trans-hatingly long, this plot has finally run its full course and is over! The world is saved! Silver's gone! So you'd better pick up his slack! Approximatly one, to a max of three months can pass in the timeskip, which can start at any time: I just know KN and Rahl have IC's they wish to set DURING the timeskip itself, and I'm not sure how the works so I hand it over to them!Thanks for playing!

OOC: Congratulations on the completion of the invasion plot, Trans! Drawn-out though it was, in a way that helped to make the war seem longer, more epic. We certainly had fun enduring the trials it presented, even if we did get a bit cranky near the end. Now, I would like all of your attention for a moment!From this point on, myself and Lord Rahl will be posting 11 ICs, set during the timeskip, that build up to our taking control of the Coalition of Corruption (The Power that Is gave us full permission to do this; we're not overstepping any boundaries here). Since we’ve had a few new players join recently, let me just assure you that these ICs are primarily for flavour, in other words, they are not absolutely essential reading if you wish to continue playing the RPG. If you enjoy the story aspect of the game then read on. If you don’t have much free time and prefer to just IC your character, then you can happily skip these without missing anything vital.That being said, I strongly encourage you all read To Rule The World if you haven’t already. Apart from being an awesome collaborative story between myself, CoKK and Lord Rahl, it provides background for several characters that are about to become prominent.IC(NPC):

Southern Italy3 days after the invasion

A cloaked figure strode up a steep cobblestone hill. Neatly-trimmed grass swayed at the side of the path, influenced by a midnight breeze. The air was crisp and clear. Above, a half-moon beamed brilliantly amongst a sea of stars. The figure stopped at the peak of the slope and glanced back toward the idyllic Italian city spread out below. Buildings of white stone and red roofs were gathered around the crest of an indigo coast. The cloaked figure resumed his journey, heading towards an enormous mansion. It, and the olive garden that lay beyond it, were surrounded by a large stone wall, tipped with electrified barbs. The general public believed this place to be the residence of a retired millionaire. The cloaked figure was one of the few who knew the truth about its occupant.He waved a hand, and with a low crackle a scarlet portal tore itself into the air before him. He stepped inside and the portal closed. A moment later there was a crackle and a new portal opened, this one on the other side of the wall, releasing the cloaked figure.He passed a large fountain and crunched up a gravel pathway that was lined with statues that seemed to represent famous SuperBeings. The cloaked figure approached a pair of great wooden doors. He raised a hand to knock - then paused as a motion sensor activated a square holographic display directly before him, prompting him to “speak password”. The cloaked figure sighed. He’d have to do this the other way. He gestured with his staff, and another portal opened.The interior of the mansion was no less impressive. A carpet of vibrant red lined the floor, paintings decorated the walls, and an exotic plant had been placed here and there. A portal opened and released the cloaked figure inside a corridor, whereupon he promptly faded into invisibility. The thick carpet flattened in foot-shapes as he continued slowly on. Beams of green light criss-crossed the room. They were laser sensors, but they didn’t worry the cloaked figure - in his invisible state he could pass through the beams without interrupting them.Soon the cloaked figure came to an arch-shaped doorway. Pressing on it as gently as he could, he opened it. It was moving slowly enough that a breeze could’ve nudged it open. The door gave a loud creak and he suppressed a curse. The noise didn’t trip any security systems though, so he carried on.The next room had a very high ceiling. A bookcase stood against one wall, filled with dusty tomes. In the middle of the room was a great stone fireplace - an acrid smell indicated it had only been put out in the last hour or so. A trio of large-backed chairs surrounded it, a small glass table set between them. The painting that hung above the fireplace was the focal point of the room. Contained in an ornate golden frame and sporting a powerful mix of colours, it depicted four figures, stood together as if posing for a photograph. The first of them was a tall, thin man wearing goggles, a lab coat, and with wiry brown hair. A mixture of numbers and equations surrounded him. The second figure was a man clad in a thickly-padded purple suit, with a reflective visor fastened upon his face. Wisp-like creatures and environments surrounded him. The third was the cloaked figure that now stood admiring it. His features were completely hidden by the black fabric he wore. A number of lines appeared to be streaking towards him. Finally, the fourth figure was a man wearing an outfit of indigo and white. It sported a large collar and sweeping cape, and a cross-shaped helmet that revealed only his piercing green eyes. Stylised stars and planets surrounded him. A plaque beneath the painting read:

‘The Four’By Benoît Leveque

“Spectacular, isn’t it?” The voice caught the cloaked figure entirely unawares and he spun around. Standing in the doorway behind him, highlighted by silver moonlight, was a man, scanning the room with a look of concentration. He had the sort of angular face that looked stern regardless of his expression. “I know you’re in here. If you’ve the audacity to break into my home the least you could do is show yourself.”The cloaked figure willed himself back into visibility. The man looked upon him with a smile.“I was actually expecting you to be a hero of some sort. Someone to keep me in shape,” said the old man, striding forwards. At one time he’d clearly been of peak physical fitness, but there were signs of deterioration in his muscles and his frame was hunched over slightly. Greyish-white hair clung defiantly to his wrinkled head in a thin cluster. He was wearing slippers and a dressing gown. “So. What compels you to visit me in the dead of night, ‘Mr. Mystery’?”“We have important matters to discuss, ‘Grand Cross’.”“Did they necessitate your breaking in?”“Not really. I just wanted to see if I could.”“Ah. It was the door you opened, by the way. Tripped one of the laser sensors.”Mr. Mystery tutted in annoyance. “I knew I should’ve used another portal.”The old man moved toward a wine cabinet, indicating that Mr. Mystery should sit down. Mr. Mystery did so and the old man soon joined him, carrying a bottle and two glasses. He filled both with dark liquid and sat down opposite the cloaked figure, his gown parting slightly to reveal a metal left leg. He glanced at the fireplace and Mr. Mystery understood. He flicked his hand and a small streak of flame spat onto the gathered logs, re-igniting them.“Mm,” said the old man, sipping his drink in the orange glow of the fire. “This is one of my favourite wines. The scent reminds me of my childhood. Did I ever tell you that my parents owned a winery?”“I believe you mentioned it once or twice.”The old man nodded. He was quiet for a few moments. The crackling of the logs filled the silence.“Why did you leave the Coalition, Galen?” Said Mr. Mystery abruptly.“Hmph. I didn’t leave the Coalition. I would never leave the Coalition. The Coalition left me.”“What?”“The day Doctor Danger died, the Coalition of Corruption died with him.”Mr. Mystery took another sip. “I don’t know how closely you’ve been paying attention to the news, but Midnight took over soon after.”“A power shift I cannot fathom. As if he compared to Otto’s intelligence!”“He didn’t do a bad job. Built us a new base. Got a lot more recruits.”“And then he went mad.”“Well… yes.”Silence fell again.“I still can’t believe it,” Galen muttered. “All those years we worked together, struggling to put the Coalition of Corruption in its rightful place as world rulers… fighting… constructing… recruiting… we’ve had ups and downs, but when Otto escaped from Confinement it seemed that a new high was to start. Then he just threw it all away. Why’d he even do it? Why did he try to destroy the planet?”“I wasn’t there, but I heard he’d complained that he was fed up with his schemes being constantly thwarted,” said Mr. Mystery. “It was a shame, I agree. He was the best of us.”“And that traitor Renaissance. Retired.” Galen spoke the word as if it were poison.“Technically you retired too...”“No, I chose not to re-join the Coalition because I did not believe Midnight was fit to lead it. I have not retired from villainy.”“No?”“No. I still have a few irons in the fire.”“You mean G-Force?”“Yes.” Galen drained his glass. “Evan, why didn’t you assume the mantle of leadership? That would have been a logical progression. One of the four founders dead; another takes their place.”Mr. Mystery shrugged. “I think maybe Doctor Danger’s death disheartened me a bit… I wanted to give some fresh blood a chance.”“And you see how that worked out.”“Yes. That’s why I’m here. Leadership of the Coalition has fallen to me now, but after the alien invasion it’s quite a shambles. Our HQ was destroyed, our members are scattered. The only reason the League isn’t picking us off is because their side suffered heavy losses too. But with the law on their side they’ll recover fast. The Coalition needs to be ready. As Midnight demonstrated, for one without Doctor Danger’s cognitive capacity the stress of the position can be overwhelming. So perhaps it’s time for a different method of leadership. A duo.”Galen’s eyes widened. “You mean… us?”“The remaining two founders. Mr. Mystery and Grand Cross. Joint leaders of the renewed, rejuvenated Coalition of Corruption. What do you think, old friend?”A smile spread across Galen’s face. “I think it’s time for our names to strike fear into the hearts of the world once again…”

OOC: Is this a send-up of those "super"-hero types that have no powers but still manage to punch Superman Dracula in the face and get away with it? Yes No, of course not. Suck it, Batman. I love Dr. McNinja.Real Name: Bruce AireyAlias: WhistlerAppearance: Bruce is a very successful, if rather eccentric, Scottish businessman, and, when acting under his own name, dresses the part - gold-tipped boots, black jacket and tie, maybe a kilt for the tourists. Physically, Bruce is two inches over the average height (putting him at 6-foot nothing) and about 20 pounds underweight for his height, due in equal parts to genetics and an erratic eating schedule. His face is very angular, with a sharply pointed nose, prominent cheek-bones, and a chin that comes to a nearly exact point. Under rather bushy eyebrows, Bruce has eyes that display central heterochromia - the center of each iris is green, the rest blue. It's not immediately noticeable, mainly something he noticed himself around age 30. Meanwhile, his hair might as well belong to a black poodle instead of anything respectable, given its absolute insistence on curling into what will, with old age, probably come to resemble the world's worst soccer-ball.As the Whistler, Bruce dresses the part of what he thinks is a medieval travelling minstrel, which basically means a puffy undershirt under a long-sleeved shirt that is, for the most part white, with rounded black shoulders, black sleeves from the elbows down, bold colored stripes running down the black sleeves and shoulders, and gold trim running down the sides of the chest and on the borders of the black regions. The ensemble is completed with a pair of long black trousers, red reproductions of the pointy-tipped shoes that accompany any depiction of the Middle Ages ever, and a kilt for the tourists. No mask is worn with this, mainly because he hasn't thought through the whole "superheroes have enemies" thing.Power: Bruce has no actual superpowers, preferring to go with a mixture of [what he thinks is] a cool costume, a tin-whistle so the theme fits, and a bucket of almost-certainly-crazy. At least he's a good businessman, and does all of this out of his own pocket. Suck it, Bruce Wayne.Allegiance: Solo HeroArea: Aberdeen, Scotland. He likes to travel, though.Bio: Bruce was a 20-year old university student when he decided the whole superhero thing looked fun. It was this almost whimsical idea that found him joining clubs for mixed martial arts in between taking the classes on business, economics and history that would lead to him founding Airey Airs, one of Scotland's largest tourism and travel agencies and, in the opinions of some, long-time winner of Stupidest Name for Anything, Ever.Once he had amassed some amount of wealth from a heavy hand in the tourist industry, Bruce looked into the superhero gig more seriously, deciding he needed something to do outside of business to keep himself lively. After a long night spent in front of a computer looking up possible superhero identities and surfing the web in general to stave off boredom, Bruce stumbled across a photograph of a Scottish rock-star dressed as a medieval minstrel (or maybe a jester. It was a long night.) This photo was what inspired Bruce's identity as the Whistler, and, after a visit to a tailor and a quick purchase of a tin-whistle, Bruce - my bad, the Whistler - took to the streets, fighting crime and staving off boredom.At first, it was just petty crime - muggings, shoplifting, things done by normal criminals that don't shoot lasers out of their eyes or anything. Life was good, stocks were up, Karl Jung had nothing to say on the matter (on account of being dead). Then, in the process of stopping a bank robbery, the Whistler came across his first real super-powered criminal - a fellow with the ability to force the air into percussive blasts, as it so happened. It was, unquestionably, the Whistler's toughest fight yet, but an air-cannon doesn't do much defensively, and the super-criminal (who declined to reveal even his alias to the police, apparently due to the shame of being defeated by "some nutter in a costume") was put into a prison hospital, sans ill-gotten cash. The Whistler was in the news, being heralded as a hero and tourist-bait to boot.

OOC: Okay, I want to post this just to set up my characters again. If there's a problem, please tell me and I'll fix this.IC: 1 month after the attack. The ISNN newsroom was in full swing, covering various superhero activity as well as the ongoing cleanup from the alien attack. One thing, howevver, was different from many of their broadcasts. Top reporter, Leah Nahal, was in studio today instead of covering stories on the streets. She sat at the end of the long, crescent desk with the other newscasters, chiming in with her opinions on stories. At the end of the segment, however, she did something very unexpected. "Um, I know that this is kind of unorthodox, but before we sign off can I say something?" She asked, her face turning almost as red as her hair. Her coworkers looked at each other in confusion, then looked to their producer for approval. After recieving it, they nodded to Leah to continue. She nodded and smiled, standing up and turning to the camera that was transmitting her image live to the entire broadcasting area."Good evening, faithful veiwers." She began, nodding to the veiwing audience. "Most of you know me as Leah Nahal, traveling reporter. Very few of you though... Know the truth. For years, I've reported the unadulterated truth you about everything. Except myself." At this point, the observant viewer might notice that the Newtons Cradle on the newscaster dest had begun to swing. "I have a secret. One I've kept for too long. The events of a month ago have prompted me to do what I am about to. I need to stop hiding from myself. I need to be who I really am." She reached up and undid her ponytail, her frizzy red hair falling free and flowing over her shoulders. At this point, a few veiwers may have gasped, recognizing that hair from somewhere. "I am not just Leah Nahal." She continued. "I an, in fact..." The strings connecting the five metal balls to the Newtons Cradle snapped, and the orbs flew through the air. They whirrled above Leah's head before merging into one large disck which settled down onto her head, almost seeming to flow down her, covering her in a thin sheet of metal. She blinked her eyes, smiling again as the metal fitted istelf to her body, and opened her mouth. "I am a League of Salvation superhero. I am Magneta!"

-------------------------------------------------------------

After the initial uproar in the studio died down, the newly revealed superhero signed off the broadcast, promising the audience she would still continue to be a reporter for the station. She walked off the set, promising her coworkers to give them the full story in the morning. She walked out the door and into the waiting arms of her boyfriend, Ken Orkoa. "I'm really proud of you Leah, it takes guts to do that" He said with a smile. She laughed him off and said "Oh please, I could only pull it off because I'm already somewhat famous! I'm shocked nobody figured it out before!" Ken laughed and shook his head before allowing his body to burst into flame. "Come on you, we gotta register your new status to the League, you know how those paper pushers get if we don't submit this stuff." With a laugh, they both flew into the night, Plasmafires flaming body allowing him to rocket away, a beacon in the night, as Magneta manipulated her metal coating to follow not far behind.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, in a run down, filthy apartment , someone snapped a TV off. He'd seen the broadcast, of course. Not that the revelation was a surpise to him. No, he knew exactly who that firey little girl was. After all, he'd known her for most of her life. Athough technicly, she'd never met him. He chuckled to himself. "Ah, evil clonism can be so confusing." This was the man known as, for the moment, Ken Orkoa. He needed to find a new name though... Even though he had the appearance and memories of his superhero counterpart; since he had been 'cloned' after the Sakeme incident he had carved out a new life for himself. And he was no hero. Oh, most certainly no. In fact... A burst of blue flame engulfed the man for a moment before leaving a blue clad super in its wake. He walked over to his open window and leaned out, looking at the people three stories below. After a moment, he smiled, having selected his victim. He pointed to a young man leaning against a light pole. The man shifted, as if feeling uncomfortable. Then, he screamed, a moment before he burst into flame and ran down the street. He only managed to run for a few seconds though, before dropping. Negafire chuckled, watching the panicc below. "Ah, nothing like a little entertainment. Can't wait to do that to that pretty little reporter..."

0

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodies? Your grace."

"I know that one. 'Who watches the Watchmen?' Me, Mr. Pessimal."

"Ah, but who watches you, your grace?"

"I do that too. All the time."

If anyone would be interested in co-hosting a Discworld-themed RPG for OTC, please PM me!

OOC: Well, it's finally over. I'd just like to give major props to everybody who stuck through this arc to the end. We've done the impossible, and that makes us mighty.......Now let us never speak of it again. :PI don't have any posts to fill the interim between the timeskip, so I'm just gonna jump right into things. Now, here's a few words I'm incredibly glad to finally say again: it's time to start up a brand new plot! Absolutely alien-free with no only a few irritatingly vague psychics!We now return you to your regularly scheduled To Save The World!, already in progress...IC:eeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeee!Fade shielded his ears from the head-splitting sonic wave. This nearly proved fatal, as a jagged, serrated metal blade came slicing for his throat. He shifted intangible, letting Carver's blade slice air where his head ought to be, then phased back to kick her aside. As she tumbled across the rooftop Fade rushed at Hertz, getting ready for a quick and easy takedown. But Hertz was ready, snapping his fingers and launching a focused wave of sound that knocked Fade off balance.By the time he regained his footing, Hertz had vanished down the fire escape. Fade was not in a mood to let him go, not again. He dove over the side of the building, unfurling his cape in freefall. Fade glided after Hertz, swooping down low as he vanished into an alley. As Fade touched down, he rounded the corner to see Hertz holding a struggling woman directly between the two of them."I wouldn't come any closer if I were you," said Hertz. "I'd imagine a sonic disruption this close to her ears will turn this poor woman's brains into jelly.""Let her go, Hertz. I'm here to talk," Fade snarled. "So, who're you working for this week: the chessmaster, or the ice queen?"Hertz looked confused, but refused to let his hostage free."I... don't understand what you're asking-""Then allow me to enlighten you," said Fade. "I've been keeping a close eye on you the past few weeks. You've been involved in seven thefts of military tech, I'm assuming at the behest of my dear old Frigid. It'd have to be you: Strech is still in prison, Thrasher's probably dead, and Recall's reformed."But there are two things my ex doesn't seem to know," Fade continued. "First, that you're already working for another supervillain. Second, so is she.""Now you're just being perposterous-" Hertz protested, but Fade cut him off."Frigid - bless her heart - doesn't know the truth, or at least can't admit to it. She's not the real deal, just some poor soul Perception dressed up like his dead daughter just to mess with my head," he said. "Now, I don't quite think he expected her to survive our encounter, but she managed to get away nonetheless. He needs someone to keep an eye on her, figure out what her angle is... and lo and behold, you fit that bill perfectly."Oh course, when you're her errands, Perception doesn't see the harm in you doing a few missions behind her back," added Fade. "You and his other cronies - Carver and the like - have been causing trouble all across New York State. You're looking for something; just what's the angle?""You... You're mad! Absolutely mad!" spat Hertz. "Besides, there's one big flaw in your plan: last I checked, Perception was locked up in a League Penitentiary!""Yeah, I figured you wouldn't admit to it; you're just as brainwashed as 'Frigid' is. I was hoping I could break you out of it, but I guess you just need a stronger will for that," Fade muttered. "And yes, I know Perception's behind bars: I put him there. I suppose you could just be running on leftover commands from before his arrest, Perception's done it before. But when he has plans like that? It could be years before they kick in. This? This is way short-term."And so, since you're refusing to be helpful, I'd like to address Perception now. Yes, I know you're probably watching all this through Hertz's eyes. And I just want you to know that I'm onto you. I don't know how you're doing this: the League should have your powers neutralized. But whatever your plan, I'm gonna stop it. You thought it'd be fun, constantly trying to break me down? Well, how'd you like someone's constantly hounding you, ruining your plans at every turn. Now... Percy, you can bet you're gonna find out."For a second, Fade thought he caught a glimse of a smirk on Hertz's face; a glimmer of an evil grin that belonged to someone else. But it was gone in an instant, if had ever even been there at all."That's nice, but I have better ways to occupy my time than listening to the ramblings of a lunatic," Hertz said, raising an arm. "The lady dies!"Suddenly, a flash of silver shot out of nowhere, a sharp blade slicing Hertz's arm. He cursed, losing his grip on his hostage; a quick glance at the ground revealed the blade to be shaped like a feather. Seconds later Wingman dropped out of the sky, boots slamming into Hertz back. The supervillain crashed against the side of a dumpster, collapsing in a heap."Thanks for that," Fade muttered. He wasn't one to give praise often, but he really hadn't had a good strategy for resolving that particular crisis. "You just happen to be in the area?""Well, actually... I was sorta looking for you," Wingman replied with a shrug. "I'm on assignment, and I... I could use a little help. I'll help you drag Hertz's scrawny rear back to the League, I'll explain it on the way.""Hmm... If Carver's smart, she's made her escape by now," Fade muttered. "Might as well cut our losses and make sure Hertz gets locked up. But first..."Fade turned his attention to the woman Hertz had tried to take hostage, who was cowering slightly in a corner."Miss... excuse me, are you alright?"The woman looked up at Fade, and her eyes went wide."Oh... my... god! You're him! You're really, really him!"Now it was Fade's turn to be bewildered. "I'm sorry, what?""You're Fade! They say you fought on the Mothership itself! They say you battled one on one with Technax himself! You fought him to a draw!""Well, I did, but why do you... what does it matter... ...huh... What? What?""Ohmygod, I heard all about the stories on the news, but I never fought... I mean, I can't believe I'm actually meeting you! Oh man, the girls at work are never gonna believe this... Oh, I'm gonna need proof!"There was a brief flash of a camera-phone and the woman was off, almost as if a supervillain hadn't tried to murder her mere moments before. Fade stood there, shocked silent, his mouth agape behind his mask. Slowly, he turned to face Wingman, the man who would willingly face alien armies and unspeakable terrors suddenly looking absolutely horrified."I... have... ...fans?"OOC: So, new plot starting here. If anyone wants to join in, they can meet up with Fade and Wingman when they stop by the League HQ to transfer Hertz; Wingman's gonna explain the situation a bit more in the next post.[For Science!]

OOC: Tilian will be there.IC:Tilian found himself strolling through League HQ, his SuperSuit not even an issue. He was one of the heroes who had not yet revealed his identity, but he was almost so ghostly that people never noticed him anyway. He had a bar in New York City now, where he frequently played music. After Silver's disappearance and the Invasion, Saosin had fallen a bit off the radar, appearing sometimes to fight off the occasional villain or stop the gators in the sewers, but mainly, he was Tilian now.Didn't mean he wasn't bored, though. He was almost hoping for something to happen as he sat down in the lounge, turning on his iPod and leaning his blonde head against the cool walls.

OOC: I'd like to jump on that little bandwagon Chronicler. My characters will be hanging around the League base.Shadow, in my case the 'Nega' reffers to the fact that Negafire looks like someone took a picture of Plasmafire and developed the NEGAtive. I suppose it's the same idea, and when the character was first introduced back in the Sakeme plot it was even mentioned that it was a stupid name. I don't think I explicity based anything off of Negaduck though... I only saw Darkwing duck a few times when I was really little.IC(P&M): Plasmafore stood looking over Magnetas shoulder, reading the paper she held in her hands. "Can you believe it took them this long to change you to 'revealed' status?" Magneta shrugged, distracted by the the legalise in front of her. "Well, the whole planet's still in cleanup mode from the attack. The League's been at the forefront, which means paperwork. And that takes precidence." She signed her name to the document and handed it back to the secretary, smiling and nodding her thanks. Plasmafire shugged and turned to watch the doors leading out of the building. He enjoyedwatching the people who went in and out, especially other heroes.

0

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodies? Your grace."

"I know that one. 'Who watches the Watchmen?' Me, Mr. Pessimal."

"Ah, but who watches you, your grace?"

"I do that too. All the time."

If anyone would be interested in co-hosting a Discworld-themed RPG for OTC, please PM me!

IC:"...Okay, I have met fans before. There was that reporter lady, Alice, back in Paris," said Fade, swinging the gap between buildings. "But at least I inspired her to be a superhero - well, I inspired her to be me, but that's another story - and at least she'd actually seen me in action! I'm getting worshiped for things people are hearing secondhand! They might as well think I'm a hero for saving Christmas! ...okay, for saving Christmas again. Bad example."Wingman swooped down low, gliding beside Fade as he ran, carrying the unconscious Hertz under one arm."What's the big deal? I'd kill to have adoring crowds shouting my name. But when I'm on the beat, it's usually Paladin's name they're shouting... and it's usually followed by a few obscenities," he said. "Besides, it's not like you didn't actually do all the things she said. You were on the Mothership, you did fight with Technax...""Yeah, but I sure didn't do it for the adulation of millions!" Fade protested. "I'm just trying to do what I thought was right, and I'm not even sure it was the right thing. It's certainly not the sort of thing I want to be called a hero for!"He slid down the side of a roof, unfurling his glider to swoop across the street to the other side."Besides, I'm not one of those capes who love the limelight. My work is a little bit more.. low profile, to say the least," he added. "Publicity is kinda like kryptonite for me.""I guess that's a pretty good point," said Wingman as the two of them arrived at the gates of the League HQ.Dropping off Hertz had been pretty simple. There was no shortage of heroes in the League, especially with the reconstruction of New York City still underway. It hadn't been hard to find a group better suited to keeping the supervillain under close guard the rest of the way to the Penitentiary. With that taken care of, Wingman and Fade started off down one of the HQ's many halls."So, what vital task do you have that requires my expertise?" Fade finally asked."Well... it's like this. You remember that lab you found, the one belonging to The Technician?" Wingman explained. "Well, no one's had a chance to catalog what's in there, with the invasion and reconstruction going on. Now that things have calmed down a bit, Paladin wants me to take a look at things, just to make sure there isn't like a bomb waiting to go off-""By which, of course, he means check if there's any hot piece of tech he can sell through Logan Industries, right?""Well, you didn't hear it from me," said Wingman, shrugging as he flew by. "But I figured you've got a good handle down on this sorta high-tech stuff, so you could probably figure out what's dangerous or not.""So, you want me to go down into the laboratory of a mad scientist, full of dangerous gadgets just waiting to try and kill us? Well, I suppose I can lend a hand," Fade said. "This is out of the goodness of my own heart, of course. Showing up Paladin in a way he can't fire me over is completely incidental.""Oh, oh course," said Wingman nonchalantly. It was a likely guess he didn't mind the idea of showing up Paladin either.[For Science!]

OOC: Now let's see here... Where can I jump in...IC: Surge flashed around the city, watching, waiting. Monitoring all sorts of energy pulses, looking for that one place he needed to step in. To put it bluntly, he was getting bored.This was his JOB for pete's sake! If he didn't have that what did he have? "Hmm. Bank robbery on 2nd and Brydesdale. Might as well. I've got nothing better to do. Although I would like to fight an evil robot. Haven't done that in a while. And off Surge whisked, to save the life savings of everyone who deposited in the local branch of the 1st National Bank.OOC: If you wish Shard, you could have left me to go back to the league, brought me to the league and I'm doing a bit of freelancing for fun, or you could be with me without going back to the league. Or something else entirely. It's up to you.

IC: After awhile, Plasmafire had given up people watching, having gotten bored of standing around leaning on a desk. He'd taken to wandering the halls, Magneta following close behind. This was good for her, she hadn't spent much time in the base, and it was pretty impressive in here. She made some pretty approving noises every now and then which for some reason filled him with a misplaced sense of pride. It wasn't as if he'd built this place or anything. Oh well, let her be a tourist for a bit, she didn't get to do that much. He rounded a corner and almost ran into a familiar face. "Hey, Fade! Dude, I haven't seen you in months. How've you been doing, man?"

0

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodies? Your grace."

"I know that one. 'Who watches the Watchmen?' Me, Mr. Pessimal."

"Ah, but who watches you, your grace?"

"I do that too. All the time."

If anyone would be interested in co-hosting a Discworld-themed RPG for OTC, please PM me!

IC:"Well, let's see. Fought in an alien invasion, nearly died, spent a few week recooping from injuries. Since then I've pretty much kept myself busy tracking the activities of various supervillains. Oh, and turns out I'm a celebrity now! That's... weird," Fade replied. "Wingman over there invited me to go search through a mad scientist's lair and clear out anything dangerous, so I guess that's what I'm doing today."[For Science!]